CGI URGES GOVERNMENT TO MAINTAIN STABILITY AND DEEPEN REFORM

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1 1 PRESS RELEASE Contact : Coord. Ministry of Economic Affairs, RI Mahendra Siregar (021) msiregar@centrin.net.id The World Bank Mohamad Al-Arief (021) malarief@worldbank.org CGI URGES GOVERNMENT TO MAINTAIN STABILITY AND DEEPEN REFORM Nusa Dua, Bali, 22 January 2003 At the end of two days of deliberations, the Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI), comprising representatives of 30 bilateral donors and multilateral agencies called on Indonesia to redouble its efforts to improve the climate for investment as a means to stimulate growth and poverty reduction. The meeting was also attended by 11 Government Ministers and representatives of civil society. The 12th meeting of the CGI noted significant progress in stabilizing the economy but pointed to a large unfinished agenda of reforms, especially those needed to deal with corruption, governance, forestry and legal reform. The CGI also congratulated the Government on signing a ceasefire in Aceh, and for its response to the Bali bombing of last October. Donors stressed that continued attention to security would be an important ingredient of rebuilding confidence in Indonesia as a tourist destination. The Bali bombings, it was argued, lent new urgency to Indonesia s reform efforts. In this context, they welcomed the statement by Mr. Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti, Coordinating Minister for the Economy that the Government will place more emphasis in 2003 on micro-economic issues particularly those related to the investment climate. The investment climate is the most significant obstacle to accelerating growth from the recent rather modest rates, and thus for reducing poverty and vulnerability, said Jemalud-din Kassum, World Bank Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific Region and Chairman of the CGI. The meeting of donors concluded by pledging up to $2.7 billion in disbursements in FY 2003, a figure within the range of the Government s total budgetary requirements of $ billion. This represents the lowest requirement from the CGI since the crisis and that is good news, said Mr. Kassum. It means Indonesia s need for budget financing is diminishing as its fiscal deficit is falling steadily. CGI members welcomed the significant progress Indonesia had made in its macro-economic program and asset restructuring. The recognition of this progress by financial markets through a strengthened Rupiah and lower interest rates has facilitated strong fiscal consolidation and enabled a sharp reduction in Indonesia s public indebtedness as a ratio to GDP from nearly 100 per cent at the end of 2000 to 70 per cent in Thanks to the significant achievements in 2002, said Daniel Citrin, chief of the visiting IMF mission, the Government has begun to lay a solid foundation for Indonesia s economic recovery from the crisis. Donors expressed continued support for Government action to move from

2 2 untargeted price subsidies to more targeted programs for the poor, including provision of health cards and rice for the poor. Donors recognized, however, that such actions were often delicate and controversial, and should be accompanied by better communications and consensus-building. To fully capitalize on the benefits of the economic stability, donors urged the Government to take steps to rebuild investor confidence. They noted that money was still leaving Indonesia faster than it was coming in, and said no sustainable growth and poverty reduction would be possible until this trend was reversed. On the pressing challenge of investment, the issues are well known, said Joseph Eichenberger, Vice President of the Asian Development Bank. While some positive steps have been taken, major and fundamental concerns have only deepened since we last met about the integrity of contracts, the reliability of impartial recourse through the legal system, and the availability of capital allocated on the basis of risk. The centrality of these issues for Indonesia s future, and the urgency of clear public sector actions and leadership, cannot be overemphasized. Urgent attention needed to be paid, inter alia, to improved security, strengthening the justice sector, reducing bureaucracy and red tape, ensuring planned new regulations maintained labor market flexibility, reducing the uncertainties caused by decentralization, and avoiding a severe power crisis. Dr. Boediono, Minister of Finance, outlined a package of measures being considered to strengthen the investment climate. These included speeding up the rebate of value added taxes, increasing the number of sectors that qualify for expedited customs processing of imports, continued efforts to improve the delivery of tax and customs services, and the establishment of a high level investment and export promotion task force that will comprehensively review factors affecting Indonesia s competitiveness. Members welcomed the Government s decision to establish this task force and urged inter alia that it set a clear and comprehensive medium-term road map and establish regular routine consultations with domestic and international business communities. Donors welcomed the Government s commitment to continued privatization and IBRA asset sales. Some donors called for greater coordination between IBRA and other stakeholders and creditors. Donors also welcomed the Government s attention to the serious infrastructure gap, particularly in the power sector. They encouraged the Government to focus attention on the most pressing areas, and promised financial support to build much-needed capacity. Participants expressed their continued sympathy and concern for the victims of the Bali bombing, and for the people of Bali. Members noted that holding the CGI in Bali was a strong signal of donor commitment to supporting the government s impressive efforts to overcome the economic and social impact of the Bali bombing. Coordinating Minister for People s Welfare, Minister M. Jusuf Kalla, noted the need for a coordinated approach to efforts to assist those hurt by the socio-economic impact of the Bali bombings. He also underscored the need for a coordinated national security program. He stressed the importance of quickening the pace of donor disbursements, and also

3 3 encouraged more countries to consider easing travel advisories to Indonesia. Tourism was vital for Bali s recovery, he noted, and the Government s response showed its seriousness in ensuring security for visitors. Members noted the government s efforts to strengthen security since the Bali bombing. Some donors expressed willingness to provide additional support for such measures as well as broader support to Bali s economic recovery -- and encouraged the Government to coordinate the support. The progress of the anti-terrorist measures and the success of the police investigations had provided a sense of relief both to the Indonesian people and to the international community. Continued security sector reform, bringing anti-money laundering regulation in line with international standards, and a firm stance against terrorism will be important factors in restoring international confidence. Members also welcomed the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in Aceh. Although signs of peace were visible throughout Aceh, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, explained, it is new and fragile. With the socio-economic life of the province strengthened, the peace process will gain momentum, God willing, until all of us achieve the ultimate victory: enduring peace, he said. Donors agreed broadly with the main priorities for building and sustaining the peace and on the need for careful coordination in mobilizing international support. They also offered support in key areas such as peace monitoring, humanitarian assistance, quick impact community development, governance and infrastructure rehabilitation. Donors remarked that reforms in the justice sector are key to restoring the investment climate and trust of the people. Donors welcomed a number of initiatives over the past 12 months, including the establishment of a Law Summit process under the auspices of the Partnership for Governance Reforms, the initiatives taken by the Supreme Court to improve its professionalism, and the establishment of an Anti-Corruption Commission. Donors encouraged all government stakeholders to support the action plan arising from the Law Summit. They said, however, that progress had been slow and inadequate to address the many serious issues involved. They noted that the continuing weakness of the legal and judicial system undermined efforts to deal with systemic corruption, to encourage investment, to deal with illegal logging, and to ensure the basic rights of Indonesians. They encouraged the government to work with civil society and the National Law Commission to prepare a comprehensive strategy and action plan with broad stakeholder support. Justice sector reform was seen as the key to reform in all areas where Indonesia faced development challenges, and they urged the Government to show the same resolve in reforming the sector as it had shown following the Bali bombing. Chairman of the National Planning Agency (BAPPENAS), Kwik Kian Gie, also presented his vision on good governance and its challenges in Indonesia. The prerequisite for good governance is no doubt the eradication or the significant lessening of KKN corruption, collusion, and nepotism, said Mr. Kwik Kian Gie.

4 4 Participants also welcomed the progress shown in implementing the decentralization agenda. They showed particular appreciation at the efforts being made in Yogyakarta, which they had visited prior to the meeting in Bali, to reform the civil service in a decentralized setting, and hoped the Central government would encourage this process. They noted the Government s intention to revise Law 22/99 and urged that this be done through a structured consultation process. Donors welcomed the introduction of a DAK (special allocation grant), and the presentation of the long awaited on-lending mechanism. They noted that a possible revision of Law 25/99 and 34/00 should be used to create a more equalizing intergovernmental fiscal framework. Despite increasing efforts by the Ministry of Forestry, it was noted that all stakeholders, including the Ministry, were disappointed with the lack of progress in addressing the forest crisis. They reiterated their conviction that sustainable solutions required government-wide collaboration. Minister of Forestry, Mr. Muhammad Prakosa, observed that collaboration needs to extend even beyond Indonesia s national boundaries and called on CGI delegates to declare that no CGI country will import illegallyharvested timber. Donors and civil society representatives emphasized the need for greater transparency and scrutiny in all aspects of forestry, including tighter control of the activities of the police and military in the sector. Several donors and civil society spokespeople highlighted the link between illegal logging, corruption and human rights abuses, and called for coordinated and concerted steps to address these issues and the outstanding reform agenda. Members congratulated the Government on having successfully prepared an approach paper on a poverty reduction strategy. They agreed that the papers constituted a good basis to focus the country s efforts on poverty reduction. They noted the importance of developing policy and program options based on a sound understanding of the causes of poverty, including the governance dimensions. They urged the government to refine the intergovernmental fiscal transfers to make them more pro-poor. They noted that a results oriented strategy called for a sound monitoring and evaluation system. They also urged that the poverty reduction strategy be mainstreamed into the government s planning and budgeting process as well as its sector programs. In relation to non-income dimensions of poverty, the Minister of Health, Dr. Achmad Sujudi, stressed the importance of health as a foundation for economic development and poverty reduction. The meeting noted the low current levels of investment in health, as well as the urgent need to improve the access of poor families to effective services. This should be achieved through greater pro-poor targeting of public funds and through new policies to increase the contribution of private and non-government service providers in meeting national health priorities. These policies and investments are needed in order to reduce the burden of disease on poor families and to meet Indonesia s Millennium Development Goals. The meeting was attended by senior government officials, including Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti, Coordinating Minister of Politics and Security Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Coordinating Minister for People s Welfare Yusuf Kalla, Minister of Finance Boediono, Minister of Justice Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Minister for National Planning/Chairman of Bappenas Kwik Kian Gie,

5 5 Minister of State Owned Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi, Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi, Minister of Housing and Regional Infrastructure Soenarno, and Minister of Forestry M. Prakosa. Chairman of the Indonesian Investment Approval Board, Theo Toemion also attended. Thirty donor agencies bilateral and multilateral as well as observers from civil society and the private sector were present. Several events preceded the meeting, such as the Governance Partnership Meeting in Yogyakarta (January 19) as well as additional pre-cgi sessions on infrastructure, Bali, Aceh, and investment climate. Eight civil society observers also participated in the meeting and presented their views in the various sessions. They represented the NGO community, labor groups, environment groups, indigenous communities, academia, and think tanks. Next meeting: Coordinating Minister Dorodjatun announced that he had invited the CGI to hold its next annual meeting in early November The venue will be decided at a later date. For more information about the World Bank in Indonesia, and to view papers presented at the CGI, visit :

6 CGI Pledge for 2003 (US$ billion) 2003 CGI 2001 CGI Through Budget o/w program loan o/w project loan (incl. Grants) Other Channels 1/ Total Pledge / including technical assistance, grants to regional governments and NGOs